Five Ways "Speaker Boehner" Would Hurt American Workers

September 05, 2010 11:25 pm ET —
Matt Finkelstein

Labor Day is about more than backyard barbecues. It is about honoring American workers and
remembering how far we have come in expanding opportunity to all kinds of
people. This year, Labor Day comes less
than two months before a critical election that will give voters a distinct
choice. While President Obama fights for
an economy that serves us all, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and
the Republican Party have consistently defended Wall Street, demonized unions,
and put big businesses ahead of working Americans. With that in mind, here are just a few ways
that "Speaker Boehner" would hurt American workers if Republicans win the majority in November.

Outsourcing Jobs: Last
month, the House passed a state
aid package to prevent hundreds of thousands of teachers, police officers,
firefighters, and other workers from losing their jobs. The bill was paid for in part by closing a
tax loophole that rewarded companies for offshoring American jobs. Amazingly, Boehner disparaged the public
servants whose jobs were in jeopardy as "special
interests," and led House Republicans in opposing the bill. In July, House Republicans killed another
bill that would have "provided nearly $20 billion in tax
relief to small businesses and closed loopholes that encourage companies to
ship jobs overseas." With "Speaker Boehner" calling the shots, Republicans will
fight to protect the profits of multinational corporations at the expense of
American workers.

Taxes: While Republican
lawmakers fight to protect the rich from tax increases, working Americans
actually stand to pay higher
taxes if Republicans win the majority.
Rep. Paul
Ryan (R-WI), the ranking member on the budget committee, has proposed a
sweeping fiscal plan called the Roadmap
For America's Future that would cause the bottom 90 percent of taxpayers
to owe more taxes than they would under President Obama's proposals. Citizens
for Tax Justice produced the following chart:

Boehner has attempted to divert
attention from Ryan's plan, which would also slash Social Security and
Medicare. However, as the party's
leading voice on fiscal matters, Ryan would obviously play a key role in
crafting the policies of a Republican majority.

Health Care: Despite
actually taking
credit for parts of the Affordable Care Act, Boehner has joined
an effort led by far-right Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to repeal the new health care
law in its entirety — including provisions that crack down on the worst abuses
of insurance companies. In addition to
providing tax
relief that will allow more small businesses to offer health benefits, the
Affordable Care Act will reduce
premiums for people who receive employer-based insurance and provide
subsidies for working Americans who cannot afford insurance on the individual
market. If Boehner and King are
successful, American workers will be forced to pay more for health coverage and
get less in return.

Government
Shutdown: If they can't repeal health
care reform, Republican leaders have pledged that they will refuse to fund it —
and it is increasingly apparent that they are willing to force a government
shutdown if that's what it takes to achieve their goal. According to the Congressional Research
Service (CRS), "Government shutdowns have necessitated the furloughing of several hundred thousand
federal employees and affect all sectors of the economy." When Republicans forced a shutdown in
December 1995, an estimated 284,000 federal employees were furloughed (or sent
home without pay) while another 475,000 were required to work in a "non-pay
status."

Worker Safety: In early
April, an underground coal mine owned by Massey Energy exploded,
killing 29 miners. The BP oil blowout
came just a few weeks later, resulting in 11 worker deaths, 17 additional injuries,
and millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of
Mexico. In both cases, the
companies displayed shocking negligence
and disregard
for the safety of their employees. But
Republicans have responded to these tragedies by sticking up for the
irresponsible practices of Big Oil and Big Coal. In July, when the House Committee on
Education and Labor passed the Miner Safety and Health Act, the Republicans on
the committee voted
unanimously against it (with one abstention). In the wake of the BP oil disaster, Rep. Joe
Barton — the ranking member on the Energy Committee — actually apologized to BP
for harsh treatment from the White House.
Meanwhile, Republicans have bitterly criticized a moratorium on offshore
drilling intended to make sure drilling is safe. And despite the painful consequences of
inadequate regulation, here's an example of the philosophy Boehner would bring
to a Republican majority: "I think
having a
moratorium on new federal regulations is a great idea it sends a wonderful
signal to the private sector that they're going to have some breathing room."